Episode 354: Paula Tiso on Narration for Documentaries
Acting Business Boot Camp
This week’s episode is all about documentary narration. Voiceover actor Paula Tiso joins me to share her journey from sketch comedy in Los Angeles to working steadily in promos, radio imaging, true crime, and documentary series. We talk about training, the shift from “perky” reads to grounded storytelling, and what it really takes to support a story with your voice. About Paula: Paula Tiso is a veteran voiceover actor whose work spans documentary narration, true crime, television affiliates, video games, and more. She’s voiced Smithsonian Channel documentaries, Oxygen and ID...
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Episode 353: Your Audition Super Power
Acting Business Boot Camp
Today’s episode is called “Your Audition Superpower.” We’re talking about what really makes an audition competitive, not just good. Because in a crowded industry, good auditions disappear. Competitive ones get remembered. Whether you’re stepping into the booth, walking into the room, or recording a self-tape at home, these five elements can transform how casting directors see you. Why “Audition Superpowers” Matter Every actor has talent. What separates the hobbyists from the professionals is how you show up under pressure. Casting directors don’t just want a great...
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Episode 352: Doing the Damn Thing
Acting Business Boot Camp
This week’s episode is all about doing the damn thing. Inspired by Jen Sincero’s You Are a Badass, we explore how to move from wishful thinking into real, consistent action. Because let’s face it: Epiphanies are useless without execution. Self-help without follow-through is shelf-help. Trying to be an actor isn’t the same as being one. From Passive Habits to Active Action Many actors fall into the trap of passive self-help habits. That looks like reading books, journaling, or attending seminars but never actually taking the uncomfortable, messy steps that move...
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Episode 351: Your End of Summer Pep Talk
Acting Business Boot Camp
Okay actors, here it is—your end-of-summer pep talk. I don’t know how we got here so fast, but summer’s basically over and it’s time to stop stalling. Time to get your act together. In this episode, I’m giving it to you straight. Yes, I even drop a few swear words, because honestly, sometimes that’s what it takes to shake things up. I’ll share the story of Bowie the cat (our very cautious little housemate) and how it perfectly connects to where so many of you are stuck in your careers. The question is: are you going to stay scared Bowie… or step up and be brave Bowie? And I’m...
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Episode 350: Improv and Leveling Up Your Takes
Acting Business Boot Camp
When I Froze on “Three Takes” I’ll be honest, the first time a casting director asked me for three takes in the same vibe, my brain short-circuited. The first one felt okay. The second? I made it louder. The third? I whispered and hoped for divine intervention. Sound familiar? If you’ve been there, you’re not alone. No one really teaches us how to do this. We just… guess. But over the years, I’ve learned that “three takes” doesn’t have to be torture. It’s actually an opportunity to show range, subtlety, and intention — if you know where to focus. My Five Go-To Tools for...
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Episode 349: Why Tracking Data is the Secret Weapon in Your Acting Career
Acting Business Boot Camp
Most actors treat their careers like a guessing game. Send a few emails. Hope someone notices. Post on Instagram. Cross your fingers. But what if you could know what’s working? What if you had the exact information to make better choices, save time, and book more work? That is what tracking data does for you, and yes, it is way less boring than it sounds. Why Most Actors Avoid Tracking (and Why That Hurts Them) A lot of actors shy away from anything that feels “too business.” They think tracking numbers will suck the artistry out of what they do. But here is the thing: you are...
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Episode 348: How to Spot a Voiceover Scam
Acting Business Boot Camp
If you’ve ever gotten an email offering $850 for 45 minutes of voice work and thought, huh, that sounds… generous—you’re not alone. Today I’m walking you through one of the most common and dangerous traps voice actors fall into: the voiceover scam. Let’s talk about how to recognize one, why we fall for them, and how to protect yourself. These Scams Are Getting Smarter I’ve seen so many of these land in my inbox or get forwarded from friends and students. And honestly, they’re getting better. Better design. Better phrasing. More personal. But when you...
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Episode 347: Your Mind Is Your World
Acting Business Boot Camp
In this solo episode, Peter gets deeply personal about a challenging week—and the powerful mindset shift that came from it. After getting emotionally “twisted,” Peter turned to her most trusted tools: journaling, meditation, and coaching. What started as a spiral led to a breakthrough realization: Your mind is your world. And your world is your mind. When you’re in your fear-based thought system, everything feels like a problem. But when you shift into a more loving, conscious mindset, you begin to see challenges as opportunities. Peter shares how unconscious thinking patterns can...
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Episode 346: Why VO Actors Should Try TikTok
Acting Business Boot Camp
If you're a creative who rolls their eyes every time someone says, “You should be on TikTok,” I get it. I did too. But I’ve also seen firsthand how a free platform with a low barrier to entry can quietly change your entire business. Not overnight. But steadily. Strategically. Without becoming someone you’re not. In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on how I use TikTok to stay visible, book clients, and build trust—without filters, dances, or pretending to be an influencer. So, why TikTok? I never expected to like it. I don’t love being on camera. I...
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Episode 345: Shifting Your Momentum with Stephen Ridley
Acting Business Boot Camp
How to Change Your Momentum When You’re Stuck as a Creative If you’re an artist or creative who feels stalled—like you’ve hit a wall in your motivation, progress, or passion—you’re not alone. Whether it’s burnout, fear, comparison, or just plain fatigue, creative momentum can vanish without warning. And getting it back? That can feel impossible. But here’s the good news: momentum is a choice. Not something that magically returns when the conditions are perfect—but something you can actively create, even in the mess of real life. In this week’s Acting Business Boot...
info_outlineSo today, we are going to talk about goals for the first quarter of 2024.
January through March 31st is the first quarter of the year.
We are setting 3 to 5 goals for the first quarter of 2024.
Now, the other thing is that if you do the full yearly goals, you could break that down a little bit, baby-stepping into that first quarter.
But what I want you to be thinking of is the first of the year through March 31st.
That's where I want your focus to be because it's a much more bite-sized piece to apply your goals to and your positive thoughts and actions towards.
I want to give you some questions to think about:
The first question is, with these goals that you have, where do you feel you are at in achieving them?
Talk about what you've done in the past and where that has brought you.
And then the next thing I want you to ask yourself is, looking at where you are at in achieving them and what you've done in the past, how has that made you feel?
What are your emotions around it?
If you're sick and tired of being sick and tired, you will change.
Now, the reason why I asked you where are you at in achieving them and how does that make you feel because if you did write something down, "I feel like I've let myself down, I feel like I just keep procrastinating, I feel like I'm such a loser…"
I want you right now to feel that pain. I want you to feel it.
I want you to get uncomfortable. I want you to recognize all of those things that you just said. Why? Not because I'm some masochist. No, but because I want to get you to change. If you're sick and tired of being sick and tired, you'll change.
And then I was hoping you could write this: Today is the first day of the rest of my life.
There's that wonderful phrase "Do something today that yourself in year from now will thank you for."
Use your mind to govern your brain.
Perfectionism leads to procrastination leads to paralysis.
Now, I have one more journal question for you:
How do you feel when you do not do what you said you were going to do?
When you have a thought, that thought leads to an emotion and then to an action. Which then goes back to reiterating that initial thought.
I want you now to make three columns.
I want you to put one of your goals in the first column.
So you're going to put down one of your goals.
And then, in the second column, I want you to write down some thoughts that support that goal.
So, if my goal is to be a working actor, the thought or thoughts that you would want to write in that second column are I am a successful working actor.
I go from success to success in my acting career.
I love myself, and I approve of myself.
So some good positive affirmations around that goal. Because your thoughts need to back up that goal.
What else needs to back up that goal? Your actions.
So, I want you to take a look at whatever that goal is, and I want you to think of one to three small actions that you can take towards that goal.
What's your goal?
What are the thoughts that support the goal?
What are the baby actions that you can take towards supporting that goal?
And that is the secret to success.
It's your thoughts, and your actions must back up what you want.
I want you to go back now and look at your goals, and I want you to put next to them, whether they are a habit goal or an achievement goal.
So let's say I want to take a vacation in 2024, a two-week vacation in 2024. You need to save up for that. That's an achievement goal.
But let's say you want to practice your voice five times a week for half an hour each one of those times. That is a habit goal.
So take a moment and review all the goals you have written down and write down if they are habits or achievement.
I want you to look at each one of your goals, and I want you to ask yourself, is it a goal that is actually achievable or attainable by the end of the quarter?
Or is it a quarter/year project?
It should make you just a little uncomfortable.
If you babystep your goals enough so that those baby steps are something that you eagerly put yourself forward to do that help you to move in that direction, that is something that is great.
Again, that is great because it builds self-esteem. It builds confidence.
Now, I want you to look at your goals and I want you to ask yourself questions about them.
What is my motive for making my first goal, second goal, third goal happen for me?
What will I get out of making it happen? What is my motive?
We do things because there is something in it for us. And it's okay to be selfish.
When you get to those times when you really do not feel like doing the action step for your goal, you can remind yourself what your motive is.
And that's when you can really start asking yourself. How bad do I want it?
I consider that question to be the secret ingredient.
I operate like this all the time because not every single day do I feel like doing things towards my goals.
But when I remind myself what my motive is, I remind myself how it's going to feel when I achieve it. Ooh, baby, that lights a fire under my ass.